A/N

Finally! Hey everybody, thanks so much for being interested enough to click this fic. :) It's my first attempt and I hope you like it. I have no idea how fast I will be on updates, I've got a bout 6 chapters or so done on this so far, and I'm tossing more ideas around everyday. I have no definitive plan for this, so comments will definitely help me shape the story- FEEL FREE!! I'm hoping you all will like it enough to comment and give me constructive criticism. Like I said- this is my first fic. Nervous to put myself out there, but excited for you all to read it. Have fun! :)

(BTW, this has not been beta'd, if anyone would like to do me the honors, please shoot me a message!)

Amanda

CH1

SPOV

"Hey Amelia, have you seen my green sweater?" I called out while digging furiously through a pile of laundry on the bed. This trip was not off to a good start and we hadn't even left yet.

"Yeah, Sook, I think it's on the back of the couch! You still aren't done packing?!" my roommate answered from her adjoining bedroom.

'Well, I'm tryin...' I thought to myself as I scurried out to grab the soft cotton sweater, throwing it in my already bulging suitcase as I entered my room. "Found it, thanks!" I called out as I ran to the bathroom to grab my travel case and do a quick once over to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything.

Amelia-my best friend and roommate-and I were due to leave for the airport in 45 minutes. I didn't know if we'd make it but we sure as hell weren't missing our flight, come hell or high water.

We'd both been looking forward to this trip for two months! It was a gift from Amelia's dad, Copley Carmichael, who wouldn't take no for an answer-even for something this extravagant. When Amelia and I met 7 years ago, I couldn't have imagined we'd end up taking a trip to Sweden for six months all expenses paid by her dad. Sure, we were like sisters, but this was a little much. I couldn't help but be anything but grateful to him though, and Amelia insisted saying "I can't go alone, who would keep me out of trouble? You know how I love to find it!". I also knew how wealthy Cope was and this would be no skin off his back. He had said it was an investment in us, and that he wished he'd been able to travel abroad when he graduated College as we were about to do. That was the reason for the gift. Amelia and I had stuck it out and gone through six long years of studying together to receive our degrees. Amelia chose Arts and Design, while I went the Business route.

I had worked my butt off, and I was finally coming to the realization that if someone wanted to give me a great gift, dang it I'd say 'thank you' and I'd enjoy the heck out of it.

After a stressful thirty minutes, I sat down on the couch with my knee bobbing up and down. I glanced around at our tiny little townhouse thinking to myself this would be the last time I'd see it until next year. NEXT YEAR! Amelia owned it and I rented from her for way less than I thought I should pay so we wouldn't have to worry about our little home while we were gone. We had arranged for my brother, Jason, to check in on the place every couple of weeks and water the plants even though I knew hardly any would survive knowing him. God help me, I loved him but the most important thing in Jason's life was Jason and our poor little plants didn't stand a chance!

There was a knock at the door so I answered it since Amelia was still rolling her suitcases out of her room. The driver for the town car we arranged asked for our bags and began taking them down in trips. I couldn't believe how much luggage we were taking, but then again it was going to be six months.

"Well, let's get this show on the road, girl!" Amelia said as she put her arm around my shoulders. We looked out at our living room, giggled to each other, pulled on our purses and walked out the door.

---

"I can't believe I'm on a jet and in First Class no less!" I said as the Flight Attendant poured us each a glass of champagne.

"I know, I love it. This flight is what, 17 hours with the layover? Girl, I'm glad we got these big comfy seats to stretch out in. I even brought earplugs so I don't have to listen to you snore in my ear, Sook!"

"Amelia Broadway! You know I don't snore!!" I have gasped half whispered at her, hoping no one was listening to our conversation.

She laughed, "Aww, I'm just kidding. You don't exactly snore, it's more of a light whimper." She winked at me. Great. I could see how this trip was going to be already.

We chatted for a while about how excited we were, going over again the travel documents we had and all the paper work for our new apartment thanks again to Cope. He had arranged for the daughter of a business associate of his in Sweden to meet with us and show us around a bit. I didn't want to put anyone out but I was really looking forward to that. I'd never been anywhere but Louisiana and a few other places near by so this was a whole new world to me.

"I wonder what they'll think of us there," I mused as I stared out at the Ocean. Amelia had flown lots of times so she let me have the window seat-that's why she's my best friend.

"Who knows? You're already blond with blue eyes, so you'll fit right in! That's okay though, someone has to be the brunette." she said as she bounced her hair in her hands and giggled with a smirk.

"Amelia, I know we don't go out a lot at home since we've always been so busy with school, but I'd really like to just cut lose and go out on the town a bunch while we are here. Is that alright?"

"Girl, please! I thought I was going to have to drag you out of the apartment kicking and screaming! Of COURSE we are going out! Have you SEEN the men from Scandinavia?! Gorgeous. And the best part is they can speak to you in another language and you'll never know if they are really uninteresting because you won't understand a word of it."

"I hadn't thought of that!" I said trying to contain my laughter.

"It'll be good to get out, meet someone new, maybe have a little fun if you know what I mean." Amelia waggled her eyebrows at that last part.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Remember, I'm the one who hasn't had a boyfriend in years Miss string of sexual encounters that I have to listen to through the wall!" She knew I was teasing her but she got serious for a moment after she smiled. Then she totally took me by surprise with what she said next.

"Honey, I know it's been rough, but you gotta snap out of it. Not every guy is like that asshole was. We'll find you a nice guy. A nice hot guy. With muscles. Ohhh, and an accent. Yes, that's exactly what you need. You need some foreign tongue down your throat." Thank god she finished her speech with something like that to distract me from the meat of her statement. I laughed at her and went back to staring out the window as she put on her headphones and leaned back. She had a point, I had to admit it. I hadn't really thought about 'that asshole' as she liked to call him-Bill-in over six months. That was the last time I had seen him around town and honestly, I hoped it would be the last time for good.

Bill and I had dated for 3 years. At first I still lived back home in Bon Temps and we would spend alot of time together there, then after I moved to New Orleans with Amelia we started seeing each other less but still pretty regularly. Our relationship was great in the beginning and he was so caring and loving towards me. That's why I had given him my virginity. Gradually little things started turning into arguments and visits became less frequent. Bill seemed like he was mad at me all the time and it started to affect my schoolwork so I decided that we needed to talk it out and get to the root of the problem. That's when things fell apart.

I had driven back home on a three day weekend to surprise Bill at his house. The plan was I would let myself in with my key while he was at work and set up a romantic dinner and tell Bill that I really wanted to know what was wrong so I could work on it and save our relationship.

Things did not go according to plan though, because when I let myself in I found Bill in the throws of passion with that hussy Selah Pumphrey. All I remember after seeing them on the couch naked was throwing the groceries I had down on the ground and screaming "I hate you Bill Compton!!!". Then I was in my car speeding back towards New Orleans. By the time I got home there were 13 voicemails on my cell phone and 6 on our home machine since Amelia was out of town. That was a damn long weekend alone and I think I single handedly kept Kleenex in business for quite a while after.

Bill made his way to our place the following week trying to talk to me but God bless her, Amelia ran interference for me and kept him out. After a couple of weeks of him still calling I finally answered and let him try to beg me to forgive him, that it was just that one time, that he loved me and wanted to be with me. He didn't know I'd talked to some friends at the local watering hole, Merlotte's, and they'd told me he and Selah had been together for about six months. They all thought we'd broken up when I moved so none of them had said anything. I was downright shocked when they told me he'd been with his ex, Lorena, before he'd taken up with Selah also.

After he had the gall to lie to me something snapped and I really let him have it. I told him he was vile and disgusting and every other word I could think of. I told him to never call me again, never come near me or Amelia and to stay the hell out of New Orleans or I'd call Amelia's on again/off again boyfriend Tray who was a member of a local motorcycle club-the kind you don't want to go against. He finally got the hint after that but the whole experience had left me a wreck. That semester was the hardest I'd ever had.

"On to a brighter future..." I mumbled to myself as I looked out at the beautiful shimmering Sea. Amelia was asleep next to me and gee, guess what! She was snoring. I chuckled to myself and pulled the shade over the window, settling into my own seat as I yawned. Sleep would find me fast on the plane and I was glad, I needed to mentally recharge after stirring up old memories. My last thought before I dreamed was that I would just chuck all of the memories of Bill right out the plane and down into the ocean abyss.

That's exactly what I did.